Transportation Planning

Nassau County 2030 Comprehensive Plan - Transportation Elements

The Nassau County 2030 Comprehensive Plan has goals, objectives and policies set forth to try to achieve our transportation needs for the future of the county. The overall goal is to create a multi-modal transportation system, which will safely and efficiently move people and goods while promoting and using alternate modes of transportation.

The Objectives for the Comprehensive Plan are listed below:

The County will continue to maintain minimum acceptable Levels of Service for the County transportation system;

The County shall develop, construct, and maintain a multi-modal transportation network, which is consistent with the existing and future land use patterns;

The County shall maintain a program of protection and acquisition of rights of way for the major roadway network;

The County shall encourage and promote the safe integration and utilization of bicycle and pedestrian movement on the County transportation system, within public facilities, commercial development, residential areas, recreational facilities, and other areas that allow public access;

The County shall require that all developments and planned unit developments provide a circulation system which: provides adequate multi-modal access to the County transportation system;

The County will coordinate transportation activities with other local governments and agencies that have planning and implementation responsibilities for transportation facilities;

The County shall protect ports, airports and related facilities from encroachment of incompatible land uses;

The County shall assist private, non-profit, and public agencies in planning and implementing local and regional transit services in Nassau County.

The Nassau County Department of Planning and Economic Opportunity is beginning the process of updating its Comprehensive Plan.

Long Range Transportation Planning

Long range transportation planning for the county is important to ensure that mobility will be accessible for all residents in the future. Nassau County, in conjunction with The North Florida Transportation Planning Organization (TOP) had a transit plan created for the county. This transit plan’s goal was to determine the needs of the county, and to present opportunities to improve access to transit throughout the county.

While the existing NassauTRANSIT system offers a good baseline for transportation alternatives, there are improvements that can be made for the future. These opportunities include new routes to Jacksonville and other job centers throughout the county, more advertising of the bus system to increase ridership, longer running hours. New routes could be more complete and create better connection throughout the county. NassauTRANSIT should be available in higher capacities for routes to the beaches or during festivals, like the Shrimp Festival, to reduce congestion and the need for parking. The Transit Plan includes opportunities and recommendations to improve services throughout Nassau County. Below is a link to the Transit Plan.

Nassau County Transit Plan (November 2015)

As Nassau County continues to grow, there is a recognition that we will need to include a transit service in the future to provide alternative modes of transportation of its residents throughout the county. In 2015 the Nassau County Transit Plan was drafted to identify the needs and possible routes for a future transit system. The report includes key issues and findings for establishing a more complete transit system and recommendations for the future.View the Nassau County Transit Study

SR 200 Plan

SR 200/A1A is in the process of being widened to a 6 lane roadway from west of Still Quarters Road to O'Neill Scott Road. During this process, the signalization system is also being upgraded to Adaptive Signal Control Technology (ASCT). This new vehicle detection system allows the signal timings to change in real time due to traffic fluctuations. This system is being installed throughout the roadway widening project and should be fully operational in 2020.State Road 200 Plan

Amelia Island Transportation

Nassau Transit offers the Island Hopper, a transit service that loops around Amelia Island. The service runs Thursday through Monday between 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m., including holidays, and makes 6 loops around the island. The fare is $1 per ride.

In addition to the Island Hopper, there are numerous bike lanes throughout the island. The county and city are working to increase the frequency of bike lanes to better connect the residential portions of the island to the commercial areas. Promoting active transportation is not only important to reducing the number of vehicle trips taken by residents and visitors, but also improving the health of the community and environment.

Regional Multimodal Transportation Plan

In addition to the local transit system in Nassau County, there is a plan to implement a northeast region wide transportation plan. This plan, proposed by the Northeast Florida Regional Transportation Commission (RTC), will connect Nassau County to Baker County, Clay County, Duval County, Putnam County and St. Johns County. This new system would facilitate and provide better opportunities for the transportation of people and freight across all six counties. As the population of Northeast Florida grows, there needs to be more options for residents to get to work, school and healthcare facilities. With most of the major healthcare facilities located in Jacksonville, it is important to have reliable transportation to those centers.